Car-sign.



No. 737,815. PATBNTED SEPT. 1, 1903.

d ,bsd/. -d 7&1 BUSTIJN, '6 g 2?7-4 lz' l, v 22 4 34.6 f d 2 .f /M

. a a Wm uw c a al C al C M* C fv."

UNITED STATES Patented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. BAILEY, OF MERRIMAO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO LEANDER E. LYNDE, OF MERRIMAC, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '737,81 5, dated September 1, 1903. Application filed June l0, 1903. Serial No. 160,799. (No modeLl To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, J AMES W. BAILEY, of Merri1nac,county of EsseX,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Car- Signs, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to streetcar signs, and has for its object the production of a device of this character which is adapted to display a plurality of signs, which is compact, simple in construction, and unlikely to get out of order and which is adapted to be attached conveniently to the dasher of a streetcar. I accomplish these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of a car-sign embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view th ereof. Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section on the line a; .r of Fig. 4, and Fig. 4 is a crosssection on the line y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on the line .e .e of Fig. 3, the parts being shown on a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a crosssection on the line w lw of Fig. 5.

A casing ce is provided which is provided with a display-opening in its lower front half, and a curved reflector a is formed on said casing above said opening, behind which one or more electric lights are located. A pair of vertical parallel guiding plates or supports l) are secured to or formed integral with a top plate b', the latter being secured to the outer casing a by any suitable means. The guidingplates Z) are provided with a series of vertical grooves b2 (see Figs. 5 and 6) on the inner or adjacent sides, said grooves extending from the top down nearly to the middle thereof. Said plates are also provided with a series of slots b3, each one of said slots being arranged approximately in line with one of said grooves. An obliquely-extending holdingnotch or recess bi is provided at the lower end of each of said slots b3, each notch extending forwardly and upwardly, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

A series of signs c, bearing any suitable inscription, as shown in the drawings, are provided,said signs being preferably of thin sheet metal rectangular in form and guided at their ends in said grooves b2, so that they may slide' freely therein. The lower edge of each sign is provided with a longitudinally-projecting guide-pin d at each end, said pins extending through the slots b3 and being of slightly-less diameter than the width of said slots, so that they may'slide freely therein.

A series of springs e are secured at their upper ends to projections b5 on the upper end of the guide-plates b and Vat their lower ends to said guide-pins el, two springs being thereby connected to each sign and acting to lift the sign to a position behind thecasing d, the upward movement of the sign being limited by its engaging. the top plate b' or by the pins d, which cannot move above the'upper ends of the slots b3. A spring-containing chamber is thus provided between said plates i) and casing d, the displayopening terminating within the inner sides of plates b, so that said chambers are inclosed at their front sides.

The manner of displaying the signs will be obvious, for if it is desired to display a certain sign the sign will be pulled down until its stoppins cl reach the bottom of the slots b3, and then it will be swung forward slightly to pass said pins into the recesses b4, so that when the sign is released it will be securely held opposite the display-opening, as shown in Fig. 5. The other signs will all be held behind the case, so that only one sign can be exposed at a time.

With the above-described device the signs are so compactly arranged that a considerable number of signs of stiff material may be provided therein without making it unduly thick and bulky, so that it is particularly well adapted to be hung upon the dasher of a car, where it may be conveniently reached.

In order that the signs may be as durable as possible, they should be made of stiff material, and the construction above described is particularly adapted forsigns made of such material.

Various changes may be made in this construction without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A car-sign comprising the end supports having a'series of guide-grooves in their ad- IOO jacent or inner sides, and a series of slots approximately in line with said grooves, said slots having holding-notches at their lower ends, a series of signs of stiff material guided at their ends in said grooves, a guide-pin on each end of each sign, one extending through each slot, a series of springs connected at their upper ends to said supports and at their lower ends to said pins on the opposite sides of said supports from said signs, and an inclosing easing having a display-opening, said parts being arranged to permit said pins to move'into said notches when said signs are opposite said opening, substantially as described.

2. A car-sign comprising the end supports having a series of parallel guides, a series of signs guided at their ends therein, a series of pairs of springs, a pair of said springs being connected to opposite ends of each sign at their lower ends and to said supports at their upper ends, a casing having a display-opening, and means for holding each sign from upward movement when it is drawn down in front of said opening, substantially as described.

3. A car-sign comprising a series of signs of stiff material, end supports between which said signs are guided, and are vertically movable, a casing having a display-opening, a series of independent springs connected at their lower ends to said signs adjacent the lower edges thereof, and at their upper ends to said supports, and acting to lift said signs above said opening and in the rearof said casing, and means for locking each sign independently in a position opposite said opening, substantially as described.

y 4. A car-sign comprising the end supports, a casing inclosing said supports and having a display-opening in its front side, and forining chambers between said supports and casing, a series of signs of stiff material guided at their ends in said supports, a series of independent springs in said chamber connected at their upper ends to said supports and at their lower ends to said signs and acting to hold the same above said opening, and means for holding said signs in positions opposite .said openings, substantially as described.

5. A car-sign comprising the end supports, a casing inclosing said supports and having a `Vdisplay-opening in its front side, and forming a chamber between said supports and casing, 'a series of signs of stiff material guided at their ends in said supports, a series lof independent springs in said chamber connected at their upper ends to said supports and at their lower ends to said signs and acting to hold the same above said opening, said supports having a series of holding-notches formed therein, and projections on said signs adapted to enter said notches and hold said signs opposite said openings, substantially as described.

6. A car-sign comprising a casing having a display-opening in its front side below the middle thereof, va series of signs guided vertically within said casing, a series of springs `acting constantly to draw said signs above said opening, and means for locking saidl signs against upward movement when opposite said opening, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES XV. BAILEY. Yitnesses:

L. H. I-IARRIMAN, EDGAR W. DEAL. 

